Biden drops re-election bid, endorses Harris as candidate
- Thread starter QueEx
- Start date
Biden makes stunning decision to pull out of 2024 race
President Biden has decided he will end his reelection campaign, he said in a statement released Sunday, a decision certain to send shock waves through the political world, following a stumbling debate performance that widely alarmed Democrats about the 81-year-old president’s fitness for office and ability to defeat former president Donald Trump.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden said Sunday in a statement. "And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden said in a statement. "
In a separate social media post Sunday, Biden endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to replace him as his party’s standard-bearer ahead of its national convention Aug. 19-22.
"Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” Biden said in a post shared on X. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Harris is the first woman, Black person and Asian American to occupy the office, and now she has the opportunity to become the country’s first female president.
Still, Biden’s exit leaves his party in a virtually unprecedented position with months until the Nov. 5 election. Vice President Harris, a former senator from California, would bring her own liabilities to the race against Trump, who Democrats consider an existential threat to democracy. Her approval ratings have largely mirrored the decline of Biden’s since 2021, and her own campaign in the 2020 presidential primary fell apart before voting began.
Biden’s allies and critics responded to his announcement by publicly gearing themselves for a new, unpredictable battle for the White House.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who had privately urged Biden that his continued candidacy would harm Democrats chances, praised Biden for stepping aside.
“Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he is a truly amazing human being,” Schumer said in an emailed statement.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform to attack Biden and pledge to undo much of his legacy.
“Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve - And never was!” Trump wrote. “We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly.”
The Democrats’ predicament — a candidate dropping out after sweeping mostly unchallenged through the party primaries to become the presumptive nominee — is unknown in the modern era. It caps weeks of delicate strategizing by party leaders on how to dislodge Biden, a proudly stubborn figure known to bristle at those who write him off. It signals the conclusion of a remarkable half-century political career that began when Biden won election to the Senate in 1972 as one of the youngest-ever senators and will now conclude in January with his service as the oldest-ever president.
The Democrats’ process for finalizing their nominee will be hurried, untested and fraught with deep uncertainty and the potential for further intraparty turmoil. The Democratic National Convention is in four weeks in Chicago, although Democrats had initially planned to formally nominate Biden in a “virtual roll call” before the in-person gathering.
The president will leave office with notable accomplishments, especially for a one-term president in an era of deep division. He pushed through bills on infrastructure, climate change, health care, gun control and the semiconductor industry. He pulled the U.S. out of Afghanistan, rebuilt American alliances and led a coalition to defend Ukraine against Russia. His staunch support for Israel in the Gaza war, however, sparked condemnation at home and abroad.
President Biden has decided he will end his reelection campaign, he said in a statement released Sunday, a decision certain to send shock waves through the political world, following a stumbling debate performance that widely alarmed Democrats about the 81-year-old president’s fitness for office and ability to defeat former president Donald Trump.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden said Sunday in a statement. "And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden said in a statement. "
In a separate social media post Sunday, Biden endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to replace him as his party’s standard-bearer ahead of its national convention Aug. 19-22.
"Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” Biden said in a post shared on X. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Harris is the first woman, Black person and Asian American to occupy the office, and now she has the opportunity to become the country’s first female president.
Still, Biden’s exit leaves his party in a virtually unprecedented position with months until the Nov. 5 election. Vice President Harris, a former senator from California, would bring her own liabilities to the race against Trump, who Democrats consider an existential threat to democracy. Her approval ratings have largely mirrored the decline of Biden’s since 2021, and her own campaign in the 2020 presidential primary fell apart before voting began.
Biden’s allies and critics responded to his announcement by publicly gearing themselves for a new, unpredictable battle for the White House.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who had privately urged Biden that his continued candidacy would harm Democrats chances, praised Biden for stepping aside.
“Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he is a truly amazing human being,” Schumer said in an emailed statement.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform to attack Biden and pledge to undo much of his legacy.
“Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve - And never was!” Trump wrote. “We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly.”
The Democrats’ predicament — a candidate dropping out after sweeping mostly unchallenged through the party primaries to become the presumptive nominee — is unknown in the modern era. It caps weeks of delicate strategizing by party leaders on how to dislodge Biden, a proudly stubborn figure known to bristle at those who write him off. It signals the conclusion of a remarkable half-century political career that began when Biden won election to the Senate in 1972 as one of the youngest-ever senators and will now conclude in January with his service as the oldest-ever president.
The Democrats’ process for finalizing their nominee will be hurried, untested and fraught with deep uncertainty and the potential for further intraparty turmoil. The Democratic National Convention is in four weeks in Chicago, although Democrats had initially planned to formally nominate Biden in a “virtual roll call” before the in-person gathering.
The president will leave office with notable accomplishments, especially for a one-term president in an era of deep division. He pushed through bills on infrastructure, climate change, health care, gun control and the semiconductor industry. He pulled the U.S. out of Afghanistan, rebuilt American alliances and led a coalition to defend Ukraine against Russia. His staunch support for Israel in the Gaza war, however, sparked condemnation at home and abroad.
Biden drops out of presidential race and
Biden drops out of presidential race and endorses Harris to be nominee
By Antoinette Radford, Michelle Shen, Maureen Chowdhury, Elise Hammond, Jack Forrest, Zoe Sottileand Ashley R. Williams, CNNUpdated 3:02 PM EDT, Sun July 21, 2024
" data-check-event-based-preview="true" data-is-vertical-video-embed="false" data-network-id="cnn" data-publish-date="2023-03-23T22:37:07.000Z" data-video-section="us" data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/cnn" data-branding-key="" data-video-slug="cnnd" data-first-publish-slug="cnnd" data-video-tags="" data-details="" style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; clear: both; margin: 0px;">
Watch CNN: Biden drops out of 2024 race
- Source: CNN
What we're covering
- Biden drops out: President Joe Biden has announced he is dropping out of the presidential race after mounting calls from Democrats for him to end his reelection bid. He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s new nominee.
- Democrat disarray: Biden failed to convince prominent members of his own party that he can defeat former President Donald Trump in November after his poor performance at the CNN presidential debate in June. It’s the first time a US president has exited a reelection run in decades.
- What happens next: With Biden out of the race, individual delegates will need to select the party’s nominee either during a virtual roll call tentatively scheduled for early August, or on the convention floor in Chicago next month.
- Trump reacts: In a phone call with CNN minutes after Biden announced his exit from the race, Trump described Biden as “the worst president by far in the history of our country.”
AllCatch UpAnalysisRally ShootingReactions
61 PostsSORT BY Latest Oldest
1 min ago
Biden told senior team he was exiting race just as his public letter went out, source says
From CNN’s MJ LeePresident Joe Biden told his most senior team he was exiting the presidential race at around 1:45 p.m. ET, right around when his public letter was published, a source familiar with the timing told CNN.
“Before that, it was all steam ahead that he’s running,” the same source said.
1 min ago
Top House progressive Rep. Jayapal endorses Harris: "She will mobilize and energize our base to re-engage"
From CNN's Haley Talbot
Rep. Pramila Jayapal speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on Education in Washington, DC, on December 5, 2023.
Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Pramila Jayapal endorsed Vice President Kamala Harrison Sunday in a sign the left wing is coalescing around her as the nominee.
“Millions of Americans cast their ballots for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the primary. Vice President Harris has proven time and time again that she can prosecute the case against Donald Trump and campaign vigorously for Democrats down the ballot. She will mobilize and energize our base to re-engage and ensure that we turn out every single voter across the country and deliver victory in November,” the House Democrat from Washington said.
In her statement posted to social media, she also thanked President Joe Biden for his service as president and recognized his accomplishments while in the White House.
“I know President Biden’s decision to step aside this election comes after careful and deliberative consideration of the best path forward to win the House, Senate, and White House, and protect our democracy - which has always remained his top priority. I respect his decision and I applaud his full-throated endorsement of Vice President Harris to be our Democratic nominee who will continue President Biden’s legacy, defeat Donald Trump, win the House and the Senate and defend our rights and freedoms,” she said.
2 min ago
Harris supporters have been working behind the scenes to secure support from delegates in case Biden left race
From CNN's Jeff ZelenyEven as Democrats waited for President Joe Biden to make his decision, supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris were working behind the scenes for the last week to secure support from delegates.
This was not to push Biden out but to be prepared in case he left the race.
“We have been whipping delegates for the last week,” a senior Democratic strategist who worked on Harris’ 2020 campaign told CNN.
4 min ago
Bill and Hillary Clinton endorse Kamala Harris for president
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrive at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia, on November 28, 2023, to travel to Atlanta to attend at tribute service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both joined President Joe Biden in endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
“We are honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can do to support her,” the Clintons said in a joint statement.
5 min ago
DNC Chair: "American people will hear from the Democratic Party on next steps"
From CNN's Holmes Lybrand and Ethan CohenDemocratic National Convention Chair Jaime Harrison said the party will take a “transparent and orderly process to move forward” in choosing a candidate after President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
“This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the Party,” Harrison wrote in a statement Sunday. “Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.”
“In short order, the American people will hear from the Democratic Party on next steps and the path forward for the nomination process.”
7 min ago
Democratic lawmakers begin endorsing Harris for president
From CNN's Owen Dahlkamp and Morgan RimmerWith President Joe Biden announcing he will not seek reelection and endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats are beginning to join the president’s calls in getting behind Harris top the Democratic ticket.
- California Rep. Mike Levin of California said: “It is time to move forward with Kamala Harris as our new leader. Together.”
- Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono endorsed Harris, saying: “I’m proud to call Vice President Harris a friend and colleague, and I look forward to doing everything in my power to get her elected to the White House, so we can continue building on the progress of the last four years.”
- New Jersey Rep. Andy Kim, who is running for Sen. Bob Menendez’s seat, also endorsed Harris: “I have full faith in Vice President Harris to lead a new generation of leadership for our country,” he said, calling her candidacy “historic, not just the opportunity to elect the first woman, the first AAPI President, and a Black woman, but to continue on the incredible progress we’ve started.”
endorses Harris to be nominee
By Antoinette Radford, Michelle Shen, Maureen Chowdhury, Elise Hammond, Jack Forrest, Zoe Sottileand Ashley R. Williams, CNNUpdated 3:02 PM EDT, Sun July 21, 2024
" data-check-event-based-preview="true" data-is-vertical-video-embed="false" data-network-id="cnn" data-publish-date="2023-03-23T22:37:07.000Z" data-video-section="us" data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/cnn" data-branding-key="" data-video-slug="cnnd" data-first-publish-slug="cnnd" data-video-tags="" data-details="" style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; clear: both; margin: 0px;">
Watch CNN: Biden drops out of 2024 race
- Source: CNN
What we're covering
- Biden drops out: President Joe Biden has announced he is dropping out of the presidential race after mounting calls from Democrats for him to end his reelection bid. He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s new nominee.
- Democrat disarray: Biden failed to convince prominent members of his own party that he can defeat former President Donald Trump in November after his poor performance at the CNN presidential debate in June. It’s the first time a US president has exited a reelection run in decades.
- What happens next: With Biden out of the race, individual delegates will need to select the party’s nominee either during a virtual roll call tentatively scheduled for early August, or on the convention floor in Chicago next month.
- Trump reacts: In a phone call with CNN minutes after Biden announced his exit from the race, Trump described Biden as “the worst president by far in the history of our country.”
AllCatch UpAnalysisRally ShootingReactions
61 PostsSORT BY Latest Oldest
1 min ago
Biden told senior team he was exiting race just as his public letter went out, source says
From CNN’s MJ LeePresident Joe Biden told his most senior team he was exiting the presidential race at around 1:45 p.m. ET, right around when his public letter was published, a source familiar with the timing told CNN.
“Before that, it was all steam ahead that he’s running,” the same source said.
1 min ago
Top House progressive Rep. Jayapal endorses Harris: "She will mobilize and energize our base to re-engage"
From CNN's Haley Talbot
Rep. Pramila Jayapal speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on Education in Washington, DC, on December 5, 2023.
Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Pramila Jayapal endorsed Vice President Kamala Harrison Sunday in a sign the left wing is coalescing around her as the nominee.
“Millions of Americans cast their ballots for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the primary. Vice President Harris has proven time and time again that she can prosecute the case against Donald Trump and campaign vigorously for Democrats down the ballot. She will mobilize and energize our base to re-engage and ensure that we turn out every single voter across the country and deliver victory in November,” the House Democrat from Washington said.
In her statement posted to social media, she also thanked President Joe Biden for his service as president and recognized his accomplishments while in the White House.
“I know President Biden’s decision to step aside this election comes after careful and deliberative consideration of the best path forward to win the House, Senate, and White House, and protect our democracy - which has always remained his top priority. I respect his decision and I applaud his full-throated endorsement of Vice President Harris to be our Democratic nominee who will continue President Biden’s legacy, defeat Donald Trump, win the House and the Senate and defend our rights and freedoms,” she said.
2 min ago
Harris supporters have been working behind the scenes to secure support from delegates in case Biden left race
From CNN's Jeff ZelenyEven as Democrats waited for President Joe Biden to make his decision, supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris were working behind the scenes for the last week to secure support from delegates.
This was not to push Biden out but to be prepared in case he left the race.
“We have been whipping delegates for the last week,” a senior Democratic strategist who worked on Harris’ 2020 campaign told CNN.
4 min ago
Bill and Hillary Clinton endorse Kamala Harris for president
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrive at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia, on November 28, 2023, to travel to Atlanta to attend at tribute service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both joined President Joe Biden in endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
“We are honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can do to support her,” the Clintons said in a joint statement.
5 min ago
DNC Chair: "American people will hear from the Democratic Party on next steps"
From CNN's Holmes Lybrand and Ethan CohenDemocratic National Convention Chair Jaime Harrison said the party will take a “transparent and orderly process to move forward” in choosing a candidate after President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
“This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the Party,” Harrison wrote in a statement Sunday. “Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.”
“In short order, the American people will hear from the Democratic Party on next steps and the path forward for the nomination process.”
7 min ago
Democratic lawmakers begin endorsing Harris for president
From CNN's Owen Dahlkamp and Morgan RimmerWith President Joe Biden announcing he will not seek reelection and endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats are beginning to join the president’s calls in getting behind Harris top the Democratic ticket.
- California Rep. Mike Levin of California said: “It is time to move forward with Kamala Harris as our new leader. Together.”
- Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono endorsed Harris, saying: “I’m proud to call Vice President Harris a friend and colleague, and I look forward to doing everything in my power to get her elected to the White House, so we can continue building on the progress of the last four years.”
- New Jersey Rep. Andy Kim, who is running for Sen. Bob Menendez’s seat, also endorsed Harris: “I have full faith in Vice President Harris to lead a new generation of leadership for our country,” he said, calling her candidacy “historic, not just the opportunity to elect the first woman, the first AAPI President, and a Black woman, but to continue on the incredible progress we’ve started.”
Donald Trump's attack on "crazy" Kamala Harris sparks anger
The former president made the remarks at a rally in Michigan, his first since he survived an assassination attempt a week ago.
www.newsweek.com
.
I had a force vision and wrote this awhile back.
Alexander Hamilton wrote the following:
These rigged eight year presidential terms where a sitting President is unchallenged for his second term is a threat to public liberty. The Democrats should have ran these people as challengers during the primary. I can attest to the threat of public liberty when their period of time in office is eight years.
The clock resets after four years and you go through the process again with a legitimate primary than you face your political rival later. This looks like a dictatorship with secret police getting 99% of the vote. Why were these people afraid to challenge him in a primary, was Biden going to disappear Whitmer or Newsom?
They did not see a problem with longer terms as a governor because it was over a state but wanted a four year period for the President due to the immense power of the executive magistrate.
Alexander Hamilton wrote the following:
These rigged eight year presidential terms where a sitting President is unchallenged for his second term is a threat to public liberty. The Democrats should have ran these people as challengers during the primary. I can attest to the threat of public liberty when their period of time in office is eight years.
The clock resets after four years and you go through the process again with a legitimate primary than you face your political rival later. This looks like a dictatorship with secret police getting 99% of the vote. Why were these people afraid to challenge him in a primary, was Biden going to disappear Whitmer or Newsom?
They did not see a problem with longer terms as a governor because it was over a state but wanted a four year period for the President due to the immense power of the executive magistrate.
Last edited:
A lot of blacks try to see Harris as one of us. Something strange about this. Geocidal Joe dropping out
Having these rigged eight year terms is a threat to personal liberty. I was calling this out long before this day happened and was attacked on here as being mentally ill.
The DNC may become the defacto uni party of the US based on the popular vote and having a robust primary every four years could dissuade voters from turning to Republicans.
Having a four year term is nothing to be ashamed about, being in office for two term should be rare. Jimmy Carter lost and look what it brought us, with radical policies coming from Reagan such as free trade. He probably had a rigged primary back in the day.
The DNC may become the defacto uni party of the US based on the popular vote and having a robust primary every four years could dissuade voters from turning to Republicans.
Having a four year term is nothing to be ashamed about, being in office for two term should be rare. Jimmy Carter lost and look what it brought us, with radical policies coming from Reagan such as free trade. He probably had a rigged primary back in the day.
Joe Biden has withdrawn from the US Presidential race.
They didn't push her in the background. They literally put her name in the administration Biden-Harris, where previous presidents didn't do that. Her picture is in government offices where previous vice presidents weren't. She's literally by his side almost every time he speaks to the nation...
www.bgol.us
Cacs are losing their minds one cac said..
Democrats should get mitt Romney to run..
I was like them mormonkeys in Utah are losing
Their minds..
Mitt...bwajhhaaaaaaaaaaa
Democrats should get mitt Romney to run..
I was like them mormonkeys in Utah are losing
Their minds..
Mitt...bwajhhaaaaaaaaaaa
George Clooney praises Joe Biden for bowing out of race after op-ed
George Clooney praised Joe Biden for bowing out of the presidential race after his recent op-ed urging him to step down: 'The most selfless thing that anybody's done since George Washington.'
George Clooney praises Joe Biden for bowing out of presidential race after op-ed: 'All the credit goes to him'
The actor called the president's decision "the most selfless thing that anybody's done since George Washington" at a Venice screening for his new film "Wolfs."By Shania Russell
Published on September 1, 2024 01:22PM EDT
We left some people speechless.
George Clooney is commending President Joe Biden for stepping aside as the Democratic nominee in the 2024 presidential race.
Earlier this summer, the Oscar-winning actor and producer was one of several political and Hollywood figures who called for the president to end his re-election bid, going as far as penning a New York Times op-ed titled, "I Love Joe Biden, but We Need a New Nominee." Now, Clooney is breaking his silence on Biden’s decision to bow out of the race and put his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
"I've never had to answer that question, so I suppose I'll do it here," Clooney said Sunday at the Venice Film Festival press screening of his upcoming movie Wolfs when asked about his essay. The crowd promptly erupted into applause, to which Clooney responded, "The person who should be applauded is the president, who did the most selfless thing that anybody's done since George Washington."
George Clooney; Joe Biden.
Daniele Venturelli/WireImage; Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty
Martin Sheen, The West Wing's President Bartlet, meets President Biden at the White House
"All the machinations that got us there, none of that's gonna be remembered and it shouldn't be," Clooney continued. "What should be remembered is the selfless act of someone who… You know, it's very hard to let go of power. We know that. We've seen it all around the world. And for someone to say, 'I think there's a better way forward,' all the credit goes to him, and that's really the truth."
Before Biden's July 21 announcement that he would be dropping out of the race and endorsing Harris, Clooney expressed concern about his ability to lead the Democratic Party to victory.
"The Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe 'big f---ing deal' Biden of 2010," Clooney wrote in his July 10 op-ed. "He wasn't even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate."
Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.
Musicians who banned presidential candidates from using their songs
Joe Biden and George Clooney at the 2022 Kennedy Center honoree reception.
Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Spider-Man director reunites George Clooney, Brad Pitt in trailer for first movie together in 16 years
Voicing his worries about the president's age — he is 81 — in the wake of his much maligned performance at the June 27 debate with Donald Trump, Clooney added, "As Democrats, we collectively hold our breath or turn down the volume whenever we see the president, who we respect, walk off Air Force One or walk back to a mic to answer an unscripted question."
The actor also alleged that he had spoken privately to numerous Democratic senators and members of congress and that "every single one" shared the sentiment that "we are not going to win in November with this president." Clooney was one of many entertainers to express such concerns, with others including Stephen King, Rob Reiner, Michael Moore, John Cusack, and Michael Douglas.
Addressing the role his more notable critics may have played in Biden's decision, Clooney argued that only the president's decision to step aside would go down in history. "All the rest of it will be long gone and forgotten," he said at the Wolfs press conference in Venice. "And so I'm just very proud of where we are in the state of the world right now, which I think many people are surprised by, and I think we're all very excited by the future."
Since dropping out of the race, Biden has stood firmly behind Harris and her pick for vice president, Tim Walz. "My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my vice president," he wrote in his initial announcement. "And it's been the best decision I've made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it's time to come together and beat Trump. Let's do this."
George Clooney praises Joe Biden for bowing out of race after op-ed
George Clooney praised Joe Biden for bowing out of the presidential race after his recent op-ed urging him to step down: 'The most selfless thing that anybody's done since George Washington.'ew.com
George Clooney praises Joe Biden for bowing out of presidential race after op-ed: 'All the credit goes to him'
The actor called the president's decision "the most selfless thing that anybody's done since George Washington" at a Venice screening for his new film "Wolfs."
By Shania Russell
Published on September 1, 2024 01:22PM EDT
We left some people speechless.
George Clooney is commending President Joe Biden for stepping aside as the Democratic nominee in the 2024 presidential race.
Earlier this summer, the Oscar-winning actor and producer was one of several political and Hollywood figures who called for the president to end his re-election bid, going as far as penning a New York Times op-ed titled, "I Love Joe Biden, but We Need a New Nominee." Now, Clooney is breaking his silence on Biden’s decision to bow out of the race and put his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
"I've never had to answer that question, so I suppose I'll do it here," Clooney said Sunday at the Venice Film Festival press screening of his upcoming movie Wolfs when asked about his essay. The crowd promptly erupted into applause, to which Clooney responded, "The person who should be applauded is the president, who did the most selfless thing that anybody's done since George Washington."
George Clooney; Joe Biden.
Daniele Venturelli/WireImage; Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty
Martin Sheen, The West Wing's President Bartlet, meets President Biden at the White House
"All the machinations that got us there, none of that's gonna be remembered and it shouldn't be," Clooney continued. "What should be remembered is the selfless act of someone who… You know, it's very hard to let go of power. We know that. We've seen it all around the world. And for someone to say, 'I think there's a better way forward,' all the credit goes to him, and that's really the truth."
Before Biden's July 21 announcement that he would be dropping out of the race and endorsing Harris, Clooney expressed concern about his ability to lead the Democratic Party to victory.
"The Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe 'big f---ing deal' Biden of 2010," Clooney wrote in his July 10 op-ed. "He wasn't even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate."
Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.
Musicians who banned presidential candidates from using their songs
Joe Biden and George Clooney at the 2022 Kennedy Center honoree reception.
Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Spider-Man director reunites George Clooney, Brad Pitt in trailer for first movie together in 16 years
Voicing his worries about the president's age — he is 81 — in the wake of his much maligned performance at the June 27 debate with Donald Trump, Clooney added, "As Democrats, we collectively hold our breath or turn down the volume whenever we see the president, who we respect, walk off Air Force One or walk back to a mic to answer an unscripted question."
The actor also alleged that he had spoken privately to numerous Democratic senators and members of congress and that "every single one" shared the sentiment that "we are not going to win in November with this president." Clooney was one of many entertainers to express such concerns, with others including Stephen King, Rob Reiner, Michael Moore, John Cusack, and Michael Douglas.
Addressing the role his more notable critics may have played in Biden's decision, Clooney argued that only the president's decision to step aside would go down in history. "All the rest of it will be long gone and forgotten," he said at the Wolfs press conference in Venice. "And so I'm just very proud of where we are in the state of the world right now, which I think many people are surprised by, and I think we're all very excited by the future."
Since dropping out of the race, Biden has stood firmly behind Harris and her pick for vice president, Tim Walz. "My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my vice president," he wrote in his initial announcement. "And it's been the best decision I've made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it's time to come together and beat Trump. Let's do this."
george SHUT yo MISERABLE vaxxxed ass the FUCK UP.. that muthafucka dont EVEN FUCKIN LIVE IN AMERICA
HE LIVES IN FUCKIN ITALY... FUCKIN ITALY... the fuck anybody cares what he thinks..
he aint been happy since he was forced to marry that illumiNOTee whore... that muthafucka
is part of the "ruling" class and he lowkey hates that shit... he misses runnin around fuckin
various bitches...now alll his side hoes have to be approved..LOL
America for AMERICANS..
Ex pats are EX for a reason....so keep that fuckin italian opinion IN FUCKIN ITALY!!
Shout OUT TO ITALY THO...
Especially Southern Italy ... just tell george clooney shut the fuck up, with his vaxxxed mandated ass!!!
but not for nothing there is a major connection between italy and american politics...fuckin MAJOR
if you know
u know!!!
and its about to END!!